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Fans chat with scouting director Seid

Fans chat with scouting director Seid

Bruce Seid, director of amateur scouting for the Brewers, answered fans questions about the progress of the club's prospects and other topics in a Web chat on Wednesday.

struedel: Do you feel a lot of pressure following in Jack Zduriencik 's (very successful) footsteps?

Seid: Thanks for the question, Jack. Hope you're doing well out there in Seattle. As I've said in the past, following in the path of someone that has had success is an honor and he's left a good impression on us as scouts and people. He set the bar high and we'll work hard to keep that commitment to bring in talent to this organization.

sagunsky: Do you ever scout coaches? If not, how does the team select a coach?

Seid: That's a good question. Josh Belovsky, our Southern California scout, took over my position when I became crosschecker strictly because I saw how he did his work and was very impressed. I set up an interview with him and knew this was the guy that would be a good replacement for myself.

kevees: What do you see as your biggest challenge in scouting young talent?

Seid: Seeing what's inside a kid, what makes him tick, is a challenge. We can all see the raw tools of a player, but getting to know the kid is deep down and seeing what their true desires are can be a challenge at times.

struedel: Please tell us about Nick Bucci. He wasn't drafted high, but is performing well in Helena, and was selected to go to Huntsville when they needed help.

Seid: Nick is a young pitcher who pitches with a good tempo, knows how to use his fastball to get ahead, has three pitches and is aggressive in the strike zone with his stuff.

maceye6: I played amateur ball locally until I was 38 years old. In fact, Ed Sedar and I played for a couple of years on the same team "way back when." Anyway, I'm curious about how someone like myself might get started in scouting.

Seid: Being around a ballfield where good players congregate. Getting to meet scouts from other teams, showing some instincts to evaluate a player. You may catch a scout's eye and be utilized as an "associate scout." It's entry level, without a lot of compensation, but if you stand out, you might be recognized and move further.

KatieRose: Is it true that the Brewers have Ryan Braun's little brother?

Seid: Yes, Steve Braun. He's been injured since June 28th with an ankle injury. He was injured while playing for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.

struedel: How many of the draftees did you see play in games in person this year? And how often? For instance, how many games of Eric Arnett and Kentrail Davis were you at?

Seid: As scouting director, I saw a majority of our high guys. With my assistant, Ray Montgomery, and our crosscheckers and area scouts, we will get approximately 10 to 20 looks combined from our top Draft picks. The two mentioned players in particular, Arnett and Davis, I saw two times each this spring.

struedel: Should we not expect to see guys like Brooks Hall, Davis, and Scooter Gennett play this year?

Seid: As talented as we feel these players may be, they still haven't played competitively all summer and need the time to get into baseball-ready shape and to be ready to compete in instructional league and then the 2010 season.

smendeloff: Sports writers report that the jump from Class A to Double-A is the acid test for prospects. Is this true, and, if so, why?

Seid: That assessment has a lot of validity to it. In Double-A, you're condensing your best players from your two Class A teams into one prospect-heavy team.

struedel: Did you scout Stephen Strasburg? Do you feel he is the "best pitching prospect ever"? They said that about Mark Prior too, and I'm sure the Cubs would rather have Joe Mauer now!

Seid: He would rank right up there. A four-plus pitch guy, that can throw all pitches for strikes. That package is hard to come by.

smendeloff: What does a crosschecker do?

Seid: In our system, a crosschecker supervises 5-6 area scouts each, oversees scheduling and crosschecks players that the area scouts feel may be premium-type prospects.

Sprt4lf38: Are there some areas in the country or certain schools the Brewers focus on looking for talent at?

Seid: We have scouts that cover every corner of this country, Canada, Latin America and beyond. And players come from every nook and cranny. When there's a player that can play, we're there watching him, no matter where he's from.

samandandy: What are your requirements to look for when scouting a player?

Seid: Tools, athleticism, makeup and instincts.

uwbrewers: Where did you begin your career in the sports field and how did you work your way up to scouting director?

Seid: Fourth rounder, drafted out of Oak Park High School in Michigan, two-year career as a pro, began coaching at amateur level and met some scouts along the way. It intrigued me -- an opening happened with the Padres in 1992 in the Chicago area and I was fortunate to get the job part-time. I was hired full-time the next year and worked 14 years as an area scout, two as a crosschecker and now as scouting director.

brainded: Do you ever not scout a prospect based on signability concerns?

Seid: That's a good question, but we will scout every player, regardless of signability.

struedel: Did you have any "guys that got away" in this Draft that you really wanted to sign but couldn't?

Seid: We feel we signed every player that we wanted to. As for the others we didn't sign, they're good players, but we'll have a chance to re-evaluate them at future Drafts.

jrh17: Lots of Brewers fans were excited about signing Gennett. What can you tell me about him?

Seid: Scooter's defined as a baseball player who can play up the middle, is a left-handed hitter with an advanced feel-to-hit. He's played on our Brewers showcase team with crosschecker Doug Reynolds last year and everyone who has seen him play feels he fits the description of a gamer.

autoout51: What have you thought of Arnett's performance in Helena this year?

Seid: For any player, the first year of the pro baseball experience is new. Eric has held his own very well and he continues to show strides, adapting to the pro game every time out. His velocity has been from the low-to-mid 90's, and his tempo to the pro game is getting better as he proceeds. To his credit, he signed early and that should help him make the adjustment to pro ball quicker.

autoout51: Michael Fiers' numbers have really been impressive this season and he is now holding his own with the Timber Rattlers. Has his performance surprised you at all?

Seid: Well, he's with our Brevard team, and he's holding his own and doing very well there, too.

Seid: I'd like to thank everyone for their participation. Lots of questions, just not enough time to answer them all. We have great fans here in Milwaukee and I look forward to meeting and talking baseball with you.